Hitch Bike Rack any input?

[satellite66]

Wife wants a bike rack to go into our hitch, anyone got any info?
I think she wants a 4 bike one but if you know of a good 2 bike. Thanks

[quicksilverdon]

I have NO experience with any of them...
http://www.etrailer.com/Merchant2/me...filiate=google
[:I]

[ATLPTGT]

I like the Yakima Kingpin series. It comes in a 2 bike and a 4 bike version. It is a very stable rack and both the arms and ther ack itself can fold down so that you can access the rear of the vehicle easier. Go to a local bike shop and you should be able to pick one up for under $200. I help out at a local shop here in Atlanta and we offer all of the big names in racks (Yakima,Thule,Saris,etc) and the Yakima Kingpin is a great rack for the money.

[Capt Kidd]

[8)]I have a two bike Thule one that I have used on both my ragtop and my 2001.

The only thing is the bikes stick out beyond both sides of the car because the PT is fairly narrow, so you get some wind resistance issues, no big deal though.

My advice would be to go to a good bike shop and try one on the car and see how you like it.

[Ed Lim]

The Thule Hitching Post Pro is excellent. It comes in a 2 bike,4 bike, and even 5 bike model, and you can choose 2" or 1 1/4" receivers. The type of hitch you have will determine what type of rack you should get. I have a PTeazer hidden hitch, 1 1/4 receiver behind my rear plate. It can only handle a Hitching Post 2-bike rack due to the receiver's class rating, but it works fine. The bicycle hangers are quite beefy, along with the entire rack itself, and it is easy to hang bikes and remove them from the rack. Available are "no sway cages" that do just that, keep the bikes from swingin to and fro. The entire rack swings down (after you remove the bikes, per manufacturer's recommendation), so you can easily get into the trunk area. And like most racks these days, you have the option of locking it to your receiver. The rack holds the bikes far enough away from your tailgate so they won't trash your PT's rear end.

I hauled a 50+ pound Schwinn Stingray Spoiler with apehangers (a very long and heavy production chopper bicycle) along with my nephew's BMX on the expressway to the lake last October. The bikes (and car) got to and from safely. I just had to keep an eye on my driver's side mirror cuz that chopper's tail end extended almost a foot past the car! A little bounce and groaning from the loaded rack when going over bumps or potholes, but hey, this is Chicago...

[satellite66]

Thanks for all the input. I did not even think about hitch rating and number of bikes. I have a hidden hitch also on my PT. It looks like a 2 bike model is the way to go.